Photo #144: 4DR-1DB sleeper-16 seat lounge blunt end observation Vista Cavern (AC&F, 1947, rebuilt from round end to blunt end in 1956). Retired and sold in 1968 to David Wallace, later to Les Kasten, then to Coe Rail-Michigan Star Clipper Dinner Train, car stored at Wixom, MI, and scrapped in January 2013.

Photo #146: flatcar #203 with 4 mail containers, taken in late July 1967 (2 dates written on the door of the first container, #139, are 7-28-67 and 7-29-67, noted as "full"). Was #203 one of the flatcars which AT&SF converted from a heavyweight? If so, does anyone know what car this was?

Yes, that is true. The reason I made the above statement is that W. David Randall's "Railway Passenger Car Annual Volume 6" (1984) lists that the #1340 was sold in 1982 to quote "The Reading Company". Now, seeing as how that was 6 years after the formation of Conrail, I'm assuming that the purchaser of the #1340 didn't have any connection to the actual RDG, but that it was some other party that used that name, obviously in tribute to the then-recent fallen flag. Now, if it had been sold to Conrail witn RDG reporting marks (did CR roster any passenger cars using predecessor reporting marks?), I suspect Randall would've listed it something like "Conrail (Reading)" or "CR/RDG". Of course, I could be entirely wrong and the #1340 was purchased by CR. Anyone familiar with Conrail's passenger cars want to comment on this?

_________________Ted Brumberg

Topfuel

Post subject: Re: Al Chione Slides

Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2015 10:44 am

Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2004 4:49 pmPosts: 370

The 1340, while owned by "The Reading Company" after sale by Amtrak, was stored for years at the former Reading shops in Reading, PA. Those shops were used by Conrail at that time for storage and maintenance of their business car fleet, among other things. The 1340 was never used or modified while at Reading. I never saw any Conrail reporting marks on the 1340 while in Reading and never had any reason to believe it was actually owned by Conrail.

The 2 former B&O "Bird" series 16-4's and a fleet of former NYC Budd 56 seat coaches were also stored at the Reading shops during this time period after acquisition from Amtrak for a proposed steam program that never materialized after the death of Conrail CEO Dick Sanborn at the young age of 52.

Hi Ted, I see your point now that it's a matter of chronology, but The Reading Company continued to exist long after the formation of Conrail, and in fact I think they were still in business, mostly as a real estate holding company, until as recently as 2000. (Similarly, Penn Central was still doing business as recently as 2011 under the name American Premier Underwriters.) The Reading shops were still owned by The Reading Company even though Conrail was using them.

Seeing as how the #1340 was at the Reading shops, and it wasn't owned by Conrail, I wonder why the Reading Co. acquired it?

On a side note, which 2 B&O 16-4 sleepers did Conrail acquire?

Also, I have Conrail as acquiring the following NYC 56 seat chairs: #2916, #2919, #2922, #2925, #2926, #2945, #2948, #2949, and #2954. 7 of these 9 cars later went to VIA, the #2949 was placed in service as CR #27 (#800458) and is now NS #26 New York (#800778), and the #2945 was later owned by Ken Bitten-Classic Rail Cars-Northern Central (current status/location unknown). Were there any additional NYC cars which were purchased?

Thoroughly enjoying the scans you're posting, thanks for sharing. I think the two 16-4 sleepers were the "Bobolink" and the "Wren". That was a long time ago when I saw them at the then closed Reading shops, so that recollection is certainly subject to correction.

Thanks, Richard! The Thrush at last report was stored in Lockport, NY. Maybe Conrail acquired the Bobolink from SRTX or maybe it was another one of the 16-4 sleepers. The only car which I don't have any disposition for is the Robin, which "Amtrak by the Numbers" has listed as sold in 1991; somehow I think the 2nd 16-4 acquired by Conrail was another car.

_________________Ted Brumberg

murphycc

Post subject: Re: Al Chione Slides

Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 1:14 pm

Joined: Sun Mar 18, 2007 8:08 pmPosts: 11

Here are the Bobolink (2530) and Wren (2577) when they arrived in Reading in 1988.

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